Docs opening in new window

[Tom Lavoie]

Hey all,
Is there a way to make publisher documents open using MDI instead of SDI so
they all open in a single publisher instance instead of opening new windows,
etc... The tools...options menu is devoid of any real customization options
and I'm wondering if this is possible, it's quite annoying to go from pub2k
to pub2k3 and have every document open into a new window, or every time you
open a document and go to close it you close the whole app. instead. This is
Publisher 2003 by the way, it used to work in Publisher 2000...
Tom

 

[Ed Bennett]

While in a state of withdrawal waiting for components to arrive to repair
his dead laptop, Ed notices a message from "Tom Lavoie" <Tom
(e-mail address removed)>.

Is there a way to make publisher documents open using MDI instead of SDI
so
they all open in a single publisher instance instead of opening new
windows,
etc...

No.
The rest of Office moved to the pseudo-SDI/MDI hybrid that it has at Office
2000, from the true MDI that it had. This means that in code, the windows
are aware of each other, and you have the small close button on ecah window,
but each window is separate and there is no main parent window.

Publisher, however, always had an SDI interface. It moved to a
pseudo-SDI/MDI hybrid mongrel in Publisher 2002, to match the behaviour in
the rest of Office, where a new window is opened, and in Publisher 2003 you
have access to all open documents in a particular Publisher "instance" (I
say instance - if you start up Publisher twice, then documents are not
accessible between the two, but if you start up Publisher and open two
documents, such that a new copy of MSPUB.EXE is launched, then you can see
both from both [if that makes sense!]). The difference is that there is no
small close button, as there has never been an MDI interface in Publisher
and it was decided that for continuity there would be no emulation of that
feature.

Is there a way to enable MDI in Word now? Via Tools > Options? I can't
find it, but if it's there in Word and not Publisher, the answer is above -
it's in Wrod to allow continuity with previous versions; as previous
Publisher versions didn't have MDI, there's no continuity issue to preserve.

This is
Publisher 2003 by the way, it used to work in Publisher 2000...

There was never MDI in Publisher 2000. Publisher 2000 opened the new
document on top of the current document, forcing you to close it. That is
NOT MDI, that is the *complete opposite* of MDI. If anything, Publisher
2003's behaviour is closer to MDI than the Publisher 2000 behaviour.
You don't have to close the entire application just to close the current
document before opening a new one. Go to File > Close (not Exit, just
Close). You are taken back to the Welcome screen, where you can open a new
document. Alternatively, open your new document, close the firtst window.
Another option would be to write an add-in to replace the Open button with a
button that closed the current document and then displayed the open dialog,
but I really don't see the benefit in it.

 

[Tom Lavoie]

I guess I had my terminology wrong but the information you gave me is
helpful. I guess I'm surprised that the behavior you can get by clicking
file...close from the main publisher window is not available by an X on the
top of the document and there is no way to get this, which was the way
Publisher 2000 was...
Tom

While in a state of withdrawal waiting for components to arrive to repair
his dead laptop, Ed notices a message from "Tom Lavoie" <Tom
(e-mail address removed)>.

Is there a way to make publisher documents open using MDI instead of SDI
so
they all open in a single publisher instance instead of opening new
windows,
etc...

No.
The rest of Office moved to the pseudo-SDI/MDI hybrid that it has at Office
2000, from the true MDI that it had. This means that in code, the windows
are aware of each other, and you have the small close button on ecah window,
but each window is separate and there is no main parent window.

Publisher, however, always had an SDI interface. It moved to a
pseudo-SDI/MDI hybrid mongrel in Publisher 2002, to match the behaviour in
the rest of Office, where a new window is opened, and in Publisher 2003 you
have access to all open documents in a particular Publisher "instance" (I
say instance - if you start up Publisher twice, then documents are not
accessible between the two, but if you start up Publisher and open two
documents, such that a new copy of MSPUB.EXE is launched, then you can see
both from both [if that makes sense!]). The difference is that there is no
small close button, as there has never been an MDI interface in Publisher
and it was decided that for continuity there would be no emulation of that
feature.

Is there a way to enable MDI in Word now? Via Tools > Options? I can't
find it, but if it's there in Word and not Publisher, the answer is above -
it's in Wrod to allow continuity with previous versions; as previous
Publisher versions didn't have MDI, there's no continuity issue to preserve.

This is
Publisher 2003 by the way, it used to work in Publisher 2000...

There was never MDI in Publisher 2000. Publisher 2000 opened the new
document on top of the current document, forcing you to close it. That is
NOT MDI, that is the *complete opposite* of MDI. If anything, Publisher
2003's behaviour is closer to MDI than the Publisher 2000 behaviour.
You don't have to close the entire application just to close the current
document before opening a new one. Go to File > Close (not Exit, just
Close). You are taken back to the Welcome screen, where you can open a new
document. Alternatively, open your new document, close the firtst window.
Another option would be to write an add-in to replace the Open button with a
button that closed the current document and then displayed the open dialog,
but I really don't see the benefit in it.

 

[John G]

I guess I had my terminology wrong but the information you gave me is
helpful. I guess I'm surprised that the behavior you can get by clicking
file...close from the main publisher window is not available by an X on the
top of the document and there is no way to get this, which was the way
Publisher 2000 was...
Tom

As far as I can see the big X in top right corner just closes the file
you are looking at and if there is a second file open then Pub 2003
stays open now with the other file visible.
Is this what you were looking for.
I know word and other programs show a little x for each file but PUB
2003 seems to do what you are asking but just a little differently.
Of course you have to open the second file from the File menu of the
running copy of PUB 2003 not from a new copy started somewhere else.
Pub 2002 works this way too, don't know about Pub 2000 though.